1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to antennas for transmission and reception of radio frequency communications. More particularly to an antenna employing planar shaped radiator elements, which are employable individually, or engageable to other similarly configured radiator elements, for both increased gain, steerability. The radiator elements are capable of concurrent communications between users and adjacent antenna nodes having the same radiator elements in one or a wide variety of bandwiths. The unique configuration of the individual antenna radiator elements provides excellent transmission and reception performance in a wide band of frequencies between 470 MHz to 5.8 GHz. Such performance in such a wide bandwidth is heretofore un-achieved and the single radiator element disclosed is capable of employment for reception and transmission in widely used civilian and military frequencies such as 700 MHz, 900 MHz, 2.4 GHz, 3.5 GHz, 3.65 GHz, 4.9 GHz, 5.1 GHz and 5.8 GHz. The radiator element actually has reasonable performance capabilities up to 1.2 gbps rendering it capable of deployment for antenna towers for concurrent reception and transmission of RF frequencies between 470 MHz to 5.8 GHz which is heretofore unachievably in a single antenna element. Such deployment will minimize the number of towers and antennas needed in a grid or communications web yet provide for the maximum number of different types of communications from cellular phones to HDTV.
2. Prior Art
Conventionally, cellular, radio, and television antennas are formed in a structure that may be adjustable for frequency and gain by changing the formed structure elements. Shorter elements for higher frequencies, longer elements for lower, and pluralities of similarly configured shorter and longer elements to increase gain or steer the beam. However, the formed antenna structure or node itself, is generally fixed in position, but for elements which may be adjusted for length or angle to better transmit and receive on narrow band of frequencies of choice in a location of choice to serve certain users of choice. Because many communications firms employ many different frequencies, many different such individual antenna towers are required with one or a plurality of such towers having radiator elements upon them to match the individual frequencies employed by the provider for different services such as WiFi or cellular phones or police radios. This can result in multiple antenna towers, within yards of each other, on a hill, tall towers or other high points servicing surrounding areas. Such duplication of effort is not only expensive, it tends to be an eyesore in the community.
As such, when constructing a communications array such as a cellular antenna grid, or a wireless communications web, the builder is faced with the dilemma of obtaining antennas that are customized by providers for the narrow frequency to be serviced. Most such antennas are custom made using radiator elements to match the a narrow band of frequencies to be employed at the site which can vary widely depending on the network and venue. Also, a horizontal, vertical, or circular polarization scheme that may be desired to either increase bandwidth or connections. Further consideration must be given to the gain at the chosen frequency and thereafter the numbers elements included in the final structure to meet the gain requirements and possible beam steering requirements.
However, such antennas once manufactured to specific individual frequencies or narrow frequency bands, offer little means of adjustment of their ultimate frequency range, and their gain since they are general fixed in nature. Further, since they are custom manufactured to the frequency band, gain, polarization, beam width, and other requirements, should technology change or new frequencies become available, it can be a problem since new antennas are required to mach the changes.
Still further, for a communications system provider working on many different bands, with many frequencies, in differing wireless cellular or grid communications schemes, a great deal of inventory of the various antennas for the plurality of frequencies employed at the desired gains and polarization schemes must be maintained. Without stocking a large inventory of antennas, delays in installation can occur.
Such an inventory requirement increases costs tremendously as well as deployment lead time if the needed antenna configuration is not at hand. Further, during installation, it is hard to predict the final antenna construction configuration since in a given topography what works on paper may not work in the field. Additionally, what exact gain and polarization or frequency range which might be required for a given system, when it is being installed might not match predications. The result being that a delay will inherently occur where custom antennas must be manufactured for the user if they are not stocked.
This is especially true in cases where a wireless grid or web is being installed for a wireless communications. The frequencies can vary widely depending on the type of wireless communications being implemented in the grid, such as cellular or WiFi or digital communications for emergency services. The system requirements for gain, and individual employed frequencies can also vary depending on the FCC and client's needs.
Still further, the infrastructure required for conventional cellular and radio and other antennas, requires that each antenna be hard-wired to the local communications grid. This not only severely limits the location of individual antenna nodes in such a grid, it substantially increases the costs since each antenna services a finite number of users and it must be hardwired to a local network on the ground.
As such, there is a continuing unmet need for an improved antenna radiator element, and a method of antenna tower or node construction, allowing for easy formation and configuration of a radio antenna for two way communications such as cellular or radio for police or emergency services. Such a device would best be modular in nature and employ individual radiator elements which provide a very high potential for the as-needed configuration for frequency, polarization, gain, direction, steering and other factors desired, in an antenna grid servicing multiple but varying numbers of users over a day's time.
Such a device should employ a wideband radiator element allowing for a standardized number of base components adapted for engagement to mounting towers and the like. The components so assembled should provide electrical pathways to electrically communicated in a standardized connection to transceivers. Such a device, should employ a single radiator element capable of providing for a wide range of different frequencies to be transmitted and received. Such a device by using a plurality of individual radiator elements of substantially identical construction, should be switchable in order to increase or decease gain and steer the individual communications beams.
Employing a plurality of individual wideband radiator elements, such a device should enable the capability of forming antenna sites using a kit of individual radiator element components, each of which are easily engageable with the base components. These individual radiator element components should have electrical pathways which easily engage those of the base components of the formed antenna, to allow for a snap-together or other easy engagement to the base components hosting the radiator elements. Such a device should be capable of concurrently achieving a switchable electrical connection from each of the individual radiator elements, across the base components, and to the transceiver in communication with one or a plurality of the radiator elements.